Car-door mechanism



May 11 1926.

W. E. WINE CAR DOOR MEcHANIsM Filed Oct. 30, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 11 1926. 1 1,584,418

W. E. WINE CAR DOOR MECHANISM Filed Oct. 30, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May lll, ltr.

WILLIAM E. WINE, OE TOLEDG; OHO.

CAR-DOCE MECHANSM.

Application filed October 30, 1924. Serial' No. 746,813.

The invention relates to a car door mechanism tor railway cars or the like and has tor its object to provide simple and eiiicient means ttor insuring that the mechanism by which the door is maintained in closed position shall assume proper locked relation to the door at the end otl the closing ot the latter. A more speciiic object ot the invention is to provide a door locking mechanism et the hook type with spring means adapted to be energized by a closing movement of the door to effect a locking rotation ot the hook member by which the door is maintained in closed position. Another biect ot the invention is to provide a door loc-hing mechanism involving a pivoted door supporting hook associated with spring means serving` to exert pressure upon the hook when the door is closed, the said spring means being operatively interposed between the door and the hook and adapted to be energized during the final movement of the door to closed position.

Other features ot the invention residing in particular relations of parts and advantageous forms ot construction will hereinafter appear.

ln the drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment ot the invention. the scope whereof is pointed out in the claims,

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation ot a fragmentary portion of a car hopper showing a door locking mechanism embodying` the invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is an end view ot the tion illustrated in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a view partly in section and partly in side elevation showing the relations assumed by the parts ot the locking mechanism when the door is open and indicating in dot and dashI lines the position of the locking arm oi' the door as the latter approaches closed position.'

Figure 4 is a detail view taken on the line Lina, Fig. 1.

The railway car to which the door locking mechanism embodying the invention is shown as applied'is oit a well known type and therefore only a portion of one of the hoppers thereof' has been illustrated in the drawings. The hopper portion ot the car body may be constructed in the usual manner with hopper side sheets 1 and a slope sheet or chute plate Q whose outer .ends or construcmovement edges deline the discharge opening of the hopper. A swinging door 3, which may be hinged to the car body in any usual or desired manner, serves to close the discharge opening of the hopper. As shown in the drawings, the door 3 is preferably constructed of sheet metal and may advantageously be provided with outwardly pro- JQcting marginal flanges.

In cars ol' the type illustrated the doors 3 are arranged onopposite sides ot the car center sills and are rigidly connected by a door spreader or stitlening beam L1 so that theyv operate together and in eilect constitute a single door. ln the present instance the door spreader employed is a Zbar mem-l ber d rigidly atlixed to the door by means ot rivets 5 and terminating inside ot the marginal ilange 6 at the outer edge et the door.

Rigidly secured to the door and to the door spreader by means ot rivets 7 and 8, respectively, is a door arm 9 which may advantageously be Jormed as an angle iron which is otlset or bent outwardly from the tace oi the door at 10 so as to pass beneath the outer marginal door flange 6. The upstanding leg or flange 11 ot the door arm 9 'lorms a locking ledge or seat adapted to be engaged by the locking ledge or shoulder 12 ot the hook member 13 to lock the door 3 1n closed position. The described door construction is preferred because ci' its si`mplicity, but it is to be understood that the precise details ot door construction illustrated are not required to cooperate with the door locking mechanism now to be described.

Pivotally mounted upon the car body, as by means ot a rivet 14, is a door supporting lio-ok 13 having locking tace or shoulder 12 adapted to engage and overlap the flange 11 ot the door arm 9. Atits outer end the hook is 'formed with a curved or inclined tace 15 constituting an approach plane. In the closing movement ot the door the upper edge ot the flange 11 of' the doorv arm engages and slides along this approach plane, thus causing the hook member 13 to rotate in an unlocking direction.

The hook member 13 may advantageously be in the term of a bell crank lever whose inner" arm affords a seat or abutment 16 for a coiled compression spring 17, the latter preferably being housed within a cylindrical chamber 18 cast integral with thehook member. The outer end ot the spring 1'7 bears against. a. reciprocat-ing plunger 19 which projects "outwardly beyond vrthe discharge opening ot the hopper when the door is open. rllhe plunger is so positioned that it will be engaged by the flange 11 ot the door arm 9 as the door is swung to closed position, thus causing' the punger to be forced inwardly and compress the spring 17 carried within the spring chamber ot the hook member. It desired they outer end ot the plunger maybe provided with a roller 20. To maintain the spring 17 and plunger 19 in assembled relation to thevhook 13 the plunger is preferably l'ashionedwith a. rod-like extension 21 which passes through the spring and through an opening Q2 in the hook member at the base ot the spring chamber and receives a split key or cotter 23 at its inner end.

The hook member 13 is preferably pivotaliy connected to a plate or bracket 2l having a lug or shoulder 25 adapted to cooperate with the hook member 13 so as to limit the extent ot the locking rotation of the latter. A locking cam 2G also is preferably pivotally mounted upon the` bracket 2l, a rivet 2.7 which passes through said bracket and the hopper side sheet 1 being employed tor that purpose. rl`he hook member 13 and the locking cam 26 may advantageously be guided and the outer; ends of their pivots etii'ciently supported by means ot a. plate or strap Q8 overlying said hook and cam and through which said rivets 14 and 2S pass. lt desired a rivet 29 which passes' through the bracket Q-l and through the side sheet 1 of the hopper may, in addition to the rivets lei and 2?', be employed to secure said bracket rigidly to the car side.

lfhen the door 3 is swung towards closed position the upwardly extending flange 11 of the door arm 9 comes into contact with the approach p.' ane 15 et' the hook member 13. The further closing movement ot the door causes the hook 13 to perform an unlockingl rotation as the door arm flange 11 travels along` the approach plane 15. This unlocking rotation ot the hook causes the spring actuating plunger 19 to advance toward the door as the latter swings inwardly. Uien the roller 2O and tiange 11 of the door arm come into contact, a. continuance ot the closing move-ment of the door causes the springl? to be energized, and when the door has reached a tally closed position so that the hook 13 is enabled 'to rotate to locked position Vthe spring 17 expands, thus causing the locking ledge 12 ol" the hook member to overlap the flange 11 of the door arm in position tor maintaining the door closed. The locking camv 26 maythen be rotated into engagement with the back of the hook 13, asshown in Fig. 1.l It will be observed that the' 'construction is such that the spring mechanism not only serves to assist gravity in causing the hook 13 to assume a locked position when the door is closed, but also, in addition to the cam 2G, tends to maintain the hook in locked relation to the door.

l claim l. A railway car having' an opening for the discharge of lading, a door for closing said opening', means movably mounted on the car body for engaging said door to lock the latter in closed position, and means actuated by the said door and interposed between said door and said movably mounted means tor causing the latter to move toward locking position.

2. A railway car having an opening for the discharge of lading', a door for closing said opening means movable with respect to said door for securing the latter in closed osition, and means actuated by the said door and interposed between said movable means and said door tor forcing said last named means to door securing position.

3. A railway car having an 4opening for the discharge of lading, a swinging door for closing said opening, movabe means for engaging' said door to maintain the latter in closed position, r id spring means mounted on said movable means and adapted to actuate the latter, said movable means being adapted to cause said spring means to move toward said door when the latter is swung to closed position.

a. A railway car having an opening for the discharge of lading, a. door for closing said opening` movable ine-ans tor releasably securing said door in closed position, and spring means adapted to actuate said movable means 'for forcing the latterl to door securing position, said spring means including a. spring which is adapted to be compressed from one end by said door and to be compressed trom the other end by said means for securing said door in close-d position.

5. A railway car having an opening for the discharge ot lading, a door for'closing said opening, a hook member pivotally mounted on the car body for engaging said door to lock the latter in closed position, a spring carried by said hook member and movable therewith, and a plunger mounted on and adapted to reciprocate with respect to said hook member, said plunger being adapted to be actuated by said door to energize said spring during a closing movement of said door, :and saio spring being adapted to causesaid 'hook member to rotate to locked position.

6. A railway car having an opening for the discharge of lading, a door for closing said opening, a hook adapted to engage said door to lock the latter in closed position, and spring means mounted upon the car body and'adapted to actu'ate saro liet' te tere@ the lifter leaked Posities said spring means being adapted to be engaged and energized by said door as the latter moves towards closed position.

7. A railway car having an opening for the discharge of lading, a door for closing said opening, means movable with respect to said door for releasably securing the latter in closed position, and spring means adapted to actuate said movable means for forcing the latter to door securing position, said spring means being adapted to be energized upon the closing movement of the door and being adapted simultaneously7 to engage the door and car body.

8. A railway car having an opening for the discharge of lading, a swinging door for closing said opening, a movable hook member adapted to secure the door in closed position, spring means carried by said hook member for :forcing the latter to door securing position, said hook member and saiol spring means being adapted to be actuated by said door upon a closing movement or the latter, and means for limiting the door securing movement ot said hook member.

9. A railway car having an opening ior the discharge of lading, a swinging door for closing said opening, a bracket iixed with respect to the car body, a hook member pivotally connected to said bracket for releasably securing said door in closed position, said bracket being provided with a stop adapted to engage said hook member to limit the door securing movement of: the latter, said hook member being formed with a por-y tion forming a spring abutment, a spring seated on said abutment, and a reciprocating plunger carried by said hook member and engaging said spring and adapted to energize the latter upon a closing movement ot said door.

10. A railway car having` an opening ior the discharge of lading, a swinging door for closing said opening, a movable hook member for releasably securing said door against an opening movement, said hook member constituting a pivoted lever formed at one end with a hook and provided at the other end with an arm forming a spring abutment, a spring, and means actuated by said door for energizing said spring upon a closing movement of said hook, said spring being operatively interposed between said means and said abutment on said hook member.

1l. A railway car having an opening for the discharge of lading, a swinging door for closing said opening, a hook member pivotally mounted on the car body for releasably securing said door against an opening movement, a spring chamber carried by said hook member at one side oit' the pivotal point ot' the latter, a spring within said spring chamber, a reciprocating plunger extending into said chamber and adapted to energize said spring, and means Jor maintaining said spring and plunger in assembled relation with said chamber, said spring being adapted to he energized by said plunger upon a closing movement ot' the door, whereby said hook member is caused to rotate to door securing position when the door is closed.

l2. A railway car having an opening for the discharge of lading, a door for closing said opening, movable means for securing said door in closed position, and spring means interposed between said movable means and said door when the latter is in closed position, acting to maintain said movable means in position for retaining said door in closed position.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature.

WILLIAM E. WINE. 

